Bennett raises colossal $1.6 million in Q2 in bid to unseat Kean in NJ-7

Democrat Rebecca Bennett has raised over $4.2 million for her bid to unseat two-term Rep. Tom Kean, Jr. (R-Westfield) in New Jersey’s 7th district after a gargantuan $1.6 million during the second quarter of the year.

Bennett, a former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot making her first bid for public office, has $1.3 million cash on hand after winning an easy victory in a field of four candidates in the June 2 Democratic primary.  Two days later, she was elevated to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s Red to Blue list.

Bennett’s campaign said it has more than 25,000 individual donors, has accepted no corporate PAC money, and that 90% of its contributions are $100 or less.

Bennett vs. Kean is considered one of the most competitive House races in the nation; NJ-7 favored Republican Donald Trump by one point in 2024 and Democrat Mikie Sherrill by two points last November.

The race rose to national prominence during Kean’s four-month absence from Congress.  He returned on June 30 and announced that he had been hospitalized for depression.  He had missed 140 roll call votes.

“This race is about who will actually fight for the people of New Jersey’s 7th District,” said Bennett.  “Tom Kean Jr. has failed to deliver the independent leadership our communities deserve, instead voting to unleash higher costs and cuts to healthcare.”

This was Bennett’s strongest fundraising quarter since entering the race in February 2025.  She brought in $425,000 in Q1, $480,000 in Q2, $477,000 in Q3, $552,000 in Q4 of 2025, and over $700,000 in Q1 of 2026.

“I’m running to stand up for families, lower everyday costs, protect access to healthcare, root out corruption, and pursue a clear national security strategy that keeps America safe while avoiding endless wars,” Bennett said.  “The energy we’re seeing across this district makes one thing clear: New Jerseyans are ready for new leadership.”

More than a month after his health-related absence began, Kean reported raising $1.1 million in the first quarter of the year with $3.4 million cash-on-hand.

New Jersey’s 7th district includes a hugely expensive media market, and total spending in Kean’s 2024 re-election bid was $26.3 million — the most costly House contest in New Jersey history.

In the Democratic primary, a shadowy super PAC with ties to Republicans spent $650,000 in an unsuccessful attempt to deny Bennett the nomination.

Kean unseated two-term Democratic Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-Ringoes) in 2022, winning by three points.